This Instant Pot Filipino Chicken Adobo is absolutely delicious and on the table in 30 minutes! A fantastic family dinner recipe from our family to yours.
Make Filipino Chicken Adobo in a pressure cooker (Instant Pot/Ninja Foodi/etc)
Season the chicken pieces with salt, pepper, and paprika evenly on both sides. Use more salt and pepper if needed to season both sides of all chicken pieces.
Turn the Instant Pot to SAUTE, on HI. Add oil, and allow the oil to heat for about a minute. Working in batches, add chicken to the Instant Pot and saute until brown on both sides. This takes about 6-8 minutes, depending on the thickness of your chicken pieces.
Once all chicken pieces are browned evenly on both sides, transfer them to a plate and set aside. Pour in the chicken stock and deglaze the bottom of the pot until there are no more brown bits sticking to the bottom.
Add the soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, garlic, onions, and bayleaf to the pot. Stir ingredients together. Add the chicken back to the pot. Try to place the chicken in one layer. It's okay if there are one or two pieces laying on top of one another in order to fit into the pot.
Properly place the pressure cooker lid on and setting it to SEAL. Set to PRESSURE COOK (or MANUAL, depending on your pressure cooker) on HI for 9 minutes. It will take a few minutes for the unit to come to pressure, and then it will start counting down from 9 minutes as it pressure cooks. When pressure cooking is complete, carefully use tongs or a thick kitchen towel to turn the valve to QUICK RELEASE. Once the float valve is completely down and all steam has been released (mine takes about 2-3 minutes for quick release; your time may vary), carefully unlock and open lid.
Press the SAUTE setting and bring the remaining sauce to a boil, then allow it to reduce until it turns a nice dark brown color, about 5 to 8 minutes, depending on your preference.
Once the sauce is reduced to your liking, remove bay leaf and hit CANCEL or START/STOP to stop the sauté mode. The adobo is done when an instant read thermometer inserted into the chicken reads 165°F. Transfer chicken to a serving plate and garnish with scallions. Serve immediately.
Make Filipino Chicken Adobo in the Slow Cooker
Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and paprika.
Place chicken along with soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, chicken stock or broth, garlic, bay leaves, onions, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Stir ingredients together.
Slow cook on high for 2 to 3 hours or low for 4 to 6 hours. The adobo is done when an instant read thermometer inserted into the chicken reads 165°F.
Make Filipino Chicken Adobo on the stovetop
Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and paprika. Heat a large stockpot or dutch oven with the olive oil. Sauté and brown the chicken on all sides.
Once all chicken pieces are browned evenly on both sides, add the soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, chicken stock or broth, garlic, bay leaves, onions, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Stir ingredients together. Bring the ingredients to a low boil, and then lower the heat to low-medium. Allow the chicken adobo to cook in the dutch oven for 2 to 3 hours. The adobo is done when an instant read thermometer inserted into the chicken reads 165°F.
Video
Notes
I make this in my Ninja Foodi 8-quart XL Deluxe 9-in-1 or in my 8-quart Instant Pot Duo, but you could also make this in a 6-quart pressure cooker. (Do not attempt to make this in a 3-quart pressure cooker). If using a 6-quart pressure cooker, just be sure to sauté the chicken in one layer; if they will overlap, then sauté in two batches. Chicken: I use a mix of 8 to 10 pieces of drumsticks and chicken thighs (both bone-in, skin-on AND boneless, skinless). Depending on the size of your pressure cooker, you may need to brown the chicken in two batches. But for the pressure cooking time, you should be able to fit them all snugly into the bottom and pressure cook one batch. It's okay if the chicken pieces overlap a bit during pressure cooking.Variations: there are MANY different family recipes for Filipino Chicken Adobo. Some call for peppercorn. You can use this instead of the ground black pepper if you wish.Saucy or not saucy? How saucy you like your adobo is a personal preference and there's no right or wrong. So how much you reduce the sauce after pressure cooking is really up to you. I like my adobo to have a decent amount of sauce without being too saucy, so I let it boil for around 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Storage tips: Allow the chicken to cool at room temperature, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days, or in the freezer for up to two months.